The Arizona sentinel., 1887-10-22
CENTRAL ARiZONR.

Press the following description of the Gila and Salt river valleys, which he terms "Central Arizona"
 The central portion of Arizona has two large valleys, the Giia and the Salt river, named to the rivers (the two principal ones in the territory that run through their length. From these rivers water is taken in ditches, at such time and places as are deemed desirable, and spread over the land, by ditch and by flow, so as to produce, under the influence of the clear skies and radiant sun that beams upon and over-hang, almost perennially, a vol ume and wealth of vegetable growth seldom found anywhere outside of the torrid zone. This applies equally well to every production within the range of agriculture and pomology.
 In addition to the great idea Of ditches from natural streams, the lrrl- gation by storage" is now comingin to use, with the prospect of not only meeting present demands, but an as surance that all possible requirements of the future will be abundantly sup piled With such a topography as has been described, large number of deep and sharp gorges and canyons and ravines must necessarily exist. These open into others of the same kind, or into the valleys, often having very narrow openings, which can be filled at a comparatively small cost, and thus confne at pleasure large bodies of water from the sheds above, to be nsed as the culturist may desire. And though the streams may, as they often do, "dry up" as it supposed (which is merely a sinking and running under the sand for distance), these noun tam reservoirs have perennial supply from melting snows, which, in incal culable quantities, pile up every winter on the most elevated points and re main the entire year, giving a supply that absolutely cannot fail.
 The question of irrigation in Central Arizona is now settled; that is to say, the feasibility of irrigation, at reason able cost, all or nearly all of the agri- cultural lands in the district, is beyond doubt. The large supplies from the rivers, through the several canals and ditches, supplemented by the perennial flow from the numerous storage ponds and lakes in the mountains, leave no room to doubt that every cultivator Of the soil will find it easy to obtain all | the water he may need.
 The cultivation of nearly all the ir- rigable lands, especially those in the two great valleys the Gila and the Salt river, is less difficult than in most dis tricts elsewhere. The soil has sedim- entary surface of several feet in depth, very light and porous, generally free from gravel or rocks and stones, such as are usually met with where the land is, in any considerable degrer, broken or rolling, and is exceedingly fertile. It is in support of this latter assertion that the Indians occupying the lands now included in the Pima and Gila re servation have cultivated 1t more than 200 years without once changing thelr ceed, and the crop of last year was in character better than the average crop of the states in the upper Mississippi valley.
 So easy of cultivation is most of the land in this valley that it is no uncom- mon thing fer it to be cleared of the little brush that 1t bears, and with nothing but the ordinary cultlvator run once over it, and sowed to some kind of grass or grain, and in three or four months ripen a good crop without ever having been touched with blow. The character of the soil is such and so I'exactly alike, from the surface to the depth of several feet, that cuttings for raisin grapes are in many cases put into the ground, and make rapid growth, without any preparation but a single furrow in which to place them. The description here given of the Salt river valley is equally applicable to the Gila and other adjacent valleys of this whole central portion of the territory. The Carga Muchacho mining company has in the course of construction twenty